19 Bella A quick housekeeping note: If you’ve been wishing for a better way to find Cheapskate deals in the CNET app, your wish is granted! The latest iOS version of the app (Android update coming soon!) features an all-new Deals tab, with all the latest Cheapskate posts right up top. Check it out!Today’s deal isn’t my usual cup of stew, but it’s too good to pass up — especially if you like stew.For a limited time, and while supplies last, Macy’s has the Bella 13973 5-quart programmable slow-cooker for $25 shipped. A $15 mail-in rebate (PDF) drops your total price to just $10. It normally sells for $45. Update: Not surprisingly, this is sold out.See it at Macy’sA mail-in rebate? Man, haven’t seen one of those in a while. And this one does indeed need to be mailed; there’s no online option (though you can track the status that way, at least). The $15 comes back to you in the form of a prepaid Visa card. Although the turnaround time isn’t specified on the rebate form, expect it to take anywhere from six to 10 weeks.If you don’t already own a slow-cooker, do yourself a favor. They’re ridiculously easy to use — just dump stuff in and let it cook — and they’re good for everything from soups and stews to bread and hot wings. Here’s a Kindle ebook with 1,001 slow-cooker recipes for just 99 cents.Read more: 10 easy and delicious slow-cooker recipesThis model is noteworthy not just for its spiffy stainless-steel finish, but also because it’s programmable: You can set a countdown timer anywhere from 20 minutes to 30 hours. Bella backs the unit with a two-year warranty.Also noteworthy: Over 500 buyers collectively rated this 4.6 stars out of 5. And it’s a good bet many of those were based on a higher price.Your thoughts? Are you willing to deal with rebate hassles in order to score a killer crock-pot deal?Read more: 3 unexpected ways to use your slow-cooker Freshen up your house for the holidays with a slow cooker Bonus deal: If one smart outlet is good, four must be better, right? That’s the idea behind the Incipio CommandKit, which might otherwise be mistaken for a traditional four-outlet power strip.Four smart (for Apple HomeKit) outlets for just $10. Incipio It debuted at CES 2017 with a rather steep $100 price tag. Today, however, and for a limited time, Daily Steals (via Facebook) has the Incipio CommandKit Power Strip for just $9.99 shipped.See it at FacebookJust to be clear, this isn’t a surge protector, and it doesn’t appear that Incipio added Alexa support, as originally announced at CES. Instead, the CommandKit supports Apple HomeKit (and, by proxy, Siri), though you can also use the CommandKit app to set up automation for the outlets.That app also lets you monitor energy consumption, which is kind of cool. Just take note that this now-discontinued product doesn’t even exist on Incipio’s site, and reviews for the app aren’t great. (As for the power strip itself, I haven’t found a single review to speak of.) But if your home is already doing the Apple/Siri-automation thing, this is an awfully cheap way to add some smart outlets.Bonus deal No. 2: Game time! If you like Metroidvania-style games — tricky action-platformers that combine elements of Metroid and Castlevania — you’ll love this: For a limited time, the Epic Store is offering Axiom Verge (for Windows) for free. Regular price: $13.99.See it at EpicThis retro indie platformer debuted in 2015 to mostly glowing reviews. To get it, you’ll need an Epic account and the Epic client on your desktop. Now playing: Watch this: Tags The Cheapskate CNET’s Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Note that CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of the products featured on this page. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter! 0:43 Share your voice 23 Photos Best laptops for college students: We’ve got an affordable laptop for every student. Best live TV streaming services: Ditch your cable company but keep the live channels and DVR. 22 games we want to see on the Nintendo Switch Comments Small Appliances Video Games Smart Plugs and Switchesread more

Yuvi is likely to end his international career todayOne of India’s most successful batsmen in ODI cricket and winner of the man of the tournament award in the 2011 Cricket World Cup Yuvraj Singh is expected to announce his retirement from international and domestic cricket later today. The all-rounder has arranged an interaction with the media today at a hotel in Mumbai, where he is expected to make this declaration. There has been speculation about Singh calling it quits for some time now and the prospect of participating in tournaments such as Euro T20 Slam, to be played in Ireland, and GT20, to be played in Canada, may have served as an additional motivating factor.Indian players are barred from participating in overseas T20 leagues and as long as Yuvraj remains an active player in the Indian circuit, he cannot ply his trade in T20 events outside the country. By retiring, he could not only play these tournaments but other popular leagues across the world as a freelancer.Yuvi’s exploitsYuvraj Singh started his international career with a bang in 2000 during the ICC Knockout Trophy in Nairobi. In only his second match and the first innings of his career, the left-hander struck a brilliant 84 to help his team defeat the world champions Australia. Yuvraj was a key part of India’s 2011 World Cup victoryINDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty ImagesHe then went through a patch of bad form which saw him losing his place in the team. But when he returned to the Indian side during the home series against Zimbabwe in early 2002, he reasserted his class by rescuing his team with an innings of 80* and taking it to victory. After that he became a regular member of the ODI team.In all, Yuvraj played 304 matches and batted in 278 innings to score 8701 runs with 14 centuries and 52 half-centuries. He also took 111 wickets with one five-wicket haul. He was one of the best fielders in the world at the beginning of his career and started the trend of good fielding in the Indian side.However, Yuvraj couldn’t replicate his success in the longest format and despite playing 40 Tests, only scored 1900 runs with an average of 33.92, though he did manage three hundreds with a highest score of 169. As a bowler also, he got just nine wickets in his entire Test career.In T20Is, a career of 58 matches produced 1177 runs and 28 wickets and included his brilliant performance in the inaugural World T20 of 2007 which India won. His record in the IPL is mixed and this year, his team Mumbai Indians kept him on the bench after the first four matches of the season. This may have further prompted Yuvraj to consider retirement as his prospects in the IPL also are not looking that bright.read more

Dr Kamal HossainAlthough significant opposition the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has reached an understanding with Jukta (United) Front and National Unity Process, they are yet to announce combined programmes ahead of the national elections.Sources in the National Unity and Jukta Front said BNP is eager to declare combined programmes at the earliest while the rest of the alliance want to decide on post-election issues first.The parties are to sit for a meeting to discuss the issues on Thursday.Jukta Front and Unity Process leaders want to take a concrete decision on ensuring balance of power in the parliament and the government. They are also eager to ensure balance of power between the posts of the president and the prime minister. Decentralisation of power, appointment of ombudsman and ensuring independent judiciary are also among their demands.The meeting, which is likely to be held at the residence of eminent jursit Kamal Hossain, might take decisions such as setting post-election goals, declaring uniform programmes and setting a name for the alliance.Sources said, the leaders of the parties on Monday met at Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal president (JSD) president ASM Abdur Rab’s Uttara residence. Three top leaders of BNP took part in the meeting, where they discussed on the 9-point demand of Jukta Front and Unity Process and 12-point demand of BNP.JSD general secretary Abdul Malek Ratan and Gano Forum joint secretary AHM Shafiullah were given the responsibility to do the coordination between the sides. They will hand over the report to National Unity Process convener Kamal Hossain.“All the parties have kinda similar demands regarding the national eleciton. There are no major differences on the other demands, too. We have started working on finding the right balance,” said AHM Shafiullah.Some leaders of the Unity Process think that although the BNP has touched on the point of ensuring balance of power in their 12-point demand, it was not clear enough. Moreover, the issue of sharing of seats in the parliament is not settled yet.BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, however, opined that the time is not ripe for discussing seat sharing.In Monday’s meeting, the question of BNP led 20-party alliance’s inclusion in the National Unity Process was also discussed. BNP wanted inclusion of 18 parties except Jamaat in the process to strengthen the national alliance.Jukta Front and National Unity leaders did not object to this point raised by BNP, said the sources present at the meeting.On Jamaat, BNP leaders maintained that they should be left out of discussion as the party has lost its registration.BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraaf told Prothom Alo that the leaders present at the meeting had reached ‘some form of consensus’.The Unity Process would chalk out combined programmes upon declaration of their united demand and goals, Mosharraf added.read more

.Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is now under pressure following its central leader Abdur Razzak’s resignation over the party’s failure to seek apology for its role during the Liberation War and bring reforms in the party, say insiders.To stop the morale of party men going down, the top bosses are assuring grassroots leaders and activists of launching a new organisation soon. A five-member committee has already been formed in this regard with the party’s secretary general being handed the task to lead the body.Many inside the party had been suggesting that the party should be dissolved and a new one should be launched with a new name.The conservative faction of the party, however, did not pay any heed to the suggestion. But things changed on Friday last when Jamaat’s assistant secretary general Abdur Razzak resigned from his post.Fearing that many party men can follow Razzak, Jamaat sent an urgent notice to its party leaders assuring them of forming a new organisation and explaining Razzak’s resignation and majlish-e-shura member Majibur Rahman’s expulsion.The decision of forming a new organisation was taken in a meeting of Jamaat’s executive council on 14 January, according to the notice sent to the party leaders.A top Jamaat leader said, another committee led by its central leader Hamidur Rahman was earlier formed after the party had lost its registration as a political party. But, that initiative did not see light, he added.In the letter, Jamaat also requested its leaders not to make any offensive remarks on Abdur Razzak.In the same letter it was mentioned that Majibur Rahman was not on the same page with the party on a number of issues, which was embarrassing. He could not be controlled in any way, it said.Majibur Rahman recently travelled different parts of the country and held talks with leaders of various tiers to form a new organisation. Many leaders, however, did not respond to his initiative.A former president of Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, told Prothom Alo that the statements of the notice are contradictory.On one hand Jamaat leaders are saying that they themselves have initiated a move to launch a new organisation. They have discussed the issue internally, but the leaders didn’t respond, he argued.Abdur Razzak in his resignation letter questioned the role of Jamaat during the Liberation War in 1971. Jamaat, however, has not formally given any reaction in this regard.Despite repeated efforts, Jamaat leaders were not available for comments.An observer and well wisher of Jamaat, former secretary Shah Abdul Hannan told Prothom Alo that Jamaat will seek apology again if needed. The party is working to launch a new party, he said.Abdur Razzak’s suggestion to dissolve Jamaat and launch a new party is being taken into consideration.When asked why Razzak resigned, Shah Abdul Hannan said, “Nobody told him that his suggestion was rejected. The matters were being discussed. He did not act in the right manner.”A section of Jamaat leaders said central leader Majibur Rahman was expelled from the party so that the reform proposal could not take any shape after the resignation of Abdur Razzak. Rumours have it that Jamaat ameer Mokbul Ahmad is unwilling to remain in the post.After such a report was published on a number of online portals, Jamaat central publicity secretary Tasneem Alam in a statement on Monday said no way the Jamaat ameer was resigning.read more

Students at St. Anthony’s Catholic High School, located in the Brookland section of the District of Columbia recently got a double treat. On Feb. 15, students had the chance to talk to an astronaut and that man, Alvin Drew, is a 1977 alumnus of their institution.“I used to sit where you are now and through hard work and persistence, I achieved my dreams,” Drew told 70 students in the school’s cafeteria. “If you work hard, get good grades, stay out of trouble, and really get into science and math, you can be an astronaut too.”Astronaut Alvin Drew spoke at St. Anthony’s Catholic High School about his career. (Photo Courtesy of Blair Matthews)Drew is a District native who was inspired to become an astronaut when he watched the launch of the Apollo 7 on Oct. 11, 1968. After graduating from St. Anthony’s, he went to Gonzaga College High School where he focused on mathematics and science.He graduated from Gonzaga in 1980 and attended the United States Air Force Academy where he got a dual bachelor’s degree in physics and astronautical engineering in 1984. Since that time, Drew has gotten a master’s degree in aerospace science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and another master’s degree in political science from the Air War College.Drew was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force in 1984 and spent most of his active duty years as a pilot. When he retired from active military service in 2010, he was a colonel and had accumulated more than 3,500 hours of flying experience and piloted 30 different types of aircraft.Drew joined NASA in July 2000 and after the two-year mandatory training he was assigned technical duties for the agency. From August 8-21, 2007, he participated in the 119th space shuttle flight to the International Space Station (ISS) which was the 20th flight for the Space Shuttle Endeavor.His second and final space flight took place from Feb 24-March 9, 2010, the final mission for the Space Shuttle Discovery to the ISS. It was during this mission when Drew walked in space to outfit the ISS with updated equipment. It is an experience that lives with him to this day.“It was a mind-blowing experience,” Drew told the AFRO. “You are out in all of this blackness on one side and if you look further you see the stars and the Milky Way and if you look on the other side, you see the huge planet Earth. The air is so thin in space that you can actually see it.“The experience walking in space is surreal. It humbles you and you realize that you are a miniscule part of the universe.”Drew told students that the ISS travels around the Earth at 18,000 miles an hour or five miles a second. He said there are six people from different nations such as Russia, Italy, and of course, the United States on the ISS at a time and that it is the size of a football field.Drew said 19 countries participate in the ISS and despite its limited space due to the highly technical communications and piloting equipment on board, there are places to sleep, eat and relax. “I can watch television and talk on the telephone from space,” Drew said. “Being on the International Space Station is like being a part of a science fiction book.”Drew said he could look out at the Earth through a window of the ISS and “see hurricanes and volcanoes” as well as the icy white Siberian landscape.Drew said that floating around weightless “was a lot of fun” because there is little gravity in space. He showed a film about his 2010 trip with a clip of him rolling around in the air.Drew said despite the perception that Blacks are new to the U.S. space program nothing could be further from the truth. “If you remember the movie last year, Hidden Figures, there were Black people involved in the U.S. space program from day one,” he said. Hidden Figures was a book and a movie that talked about three African-American women who played key roles in sending Americans, most noted was John Glenn, into space in the early 1960s.“The space program got Blacks more involved as the civil rights movement progressed in the 60s.”Drew said the future is bright for African Americans in the space program because of projects such as going back to the moon, traveling to Mars, the asteroid belt, and to the other planets in the solar system and beyond. He noted that these projects in the future will be funded not only by governments but the private sector also.read more

Luckily for us, according to experts, it’s possible to harness this concept and increase our appeal in things like negotiations and career advancement. So if you find yourself becoming overzealous over every little opportunity that comes your way, here are a few ways to keep things in balance: Read the whole story: The New York Times And while conventional wisdom tells us we should eagerly embrace every opportunity that comes our way, playing a little hard to get has its advantages. “What the scarcity principle says is that people are more attracted to those options or opportunities that are rare, unique or dwindling in availability,” Dr. Cialdini said. The reason behind this idea has to do with the psychology of “reactance”: Essentially, when we think something is limited to us, we tend to want it more. Back in college, I was always the first to raise my hand in class (a behavior that didn’t win me many friends, let me tell you). Now as a freelance writer, I’m no stranger to that same overeagerness when it comes to work — translated in prompt replies and more than the occasional emoji. Emails, tweets, Slack messages — you name it — being affable and amenable is kind of my thing. Study after study has shown that opportunities are seen to be more valuable as they become less available, meaning that people want more of what they can’t have, according to Robert Cialdini, a leading expert on influence and the author of “Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade.”read more